Dylan Chen and Khkola Niazi also contributed to this article.
New teacher at Malden High School, Meghan Fitzpatrick, is already meeting her high expectations. Fitzpatrick, a 2019 alumna of Malden High School, has already brought in a sense of comfort and nostalgia to many while teaching biology in room B344.
As a recent graduate from Northeastern University, she completed most of her college life online to further her education in teaching and science, to then share her passion for biology with students. “I want kids to enjoy science, because a lot of people often think they come in and it’s hard, or it’s boring, but it’s actually super cool,” Fitzpatrick voiced.
“Honestly, watching her teach, it’s like she’s been teaching for 25 years. Sometimes people are just born for this profession, and I think she’s one of them. She’s a natural,” Chris Mastrangelo, principal of Malden High School, expressed.
During her time last year covering for biology teacher Jessica Webber, many students remarked that she was a wonderful teacher. Irie Debel explained: “She’s really a good teacher, making things easier to understand and … she is very thorough with her explanations, and I like that.”
To connect with her students, Fitzpatrick makes sure she can find ways to relate to them; she asks them what foods they like when discussing the digestive system, or checks up on them whenever they are upset, making sure that they are heard. Ash Dooley, who was also in Webber’s class during the time she was on maternity leave, said that she was very close with many students and that being taught by her felt like being taught by an “older sister.”
Fitzpatrick has already inspired many students, lighting the candle in their path to science. Not only that, but making them comfortable around her and willing to learn, knowing that they have a teacher they could rely on.
“Science has never really been my thing, but Ms. Fitzpatrick did make it a lot more fun. I can’t say that I’m head over heels with biology or science in general, but having Ms. Fitzpatrick for the time that I did really helped me feel comfortable with biology for that time,” Dooley continued.
When Fitzpatrick was a student here at Malden High School, she built many good relationships with her teachers. “She was a very great student, she was very quiet but very bright, and she did really well in honors biology; and then I also had her as a senior, she is very bright and loves science, and all the teachers thought very highly of her,” Webber said.
Webber watched her student grow into a teacher who was able to share the same passion for science as herself. “I love biology, but I do know that not all of the students do, so to see someone love the same thing I do and how it sparks them to do it, it makes me so proud. Especially when we needed more teachers,” she stated.
With high hopes for her future students, Fitzpatrick hopes to share her passion for science with all. If her students plan to follow in her footsteps, her class can be a stepping stone for those who are interested or plan to pursue a career in science.
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